IPC releases PCB industry results for July 2009

AUGUST 27, 2009--IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries (Bannockburn, IL, USA; www.ipc.org) has reported the July findings from its monthly North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program.

Rigid PCB shipments declined 26.2% and bookings were down 22.3% in July 2009 from July 2008. Year-to-date, rigid PCB shipments were down 28.9% and bookings fell by 28.7%. Compared to the previous month, rigid PCB shipments fell 11.8% and rigid bookings decreased 22.9%. The book-to-bill (B:B) ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry in July 2009 pulled back slightly to 1.09.

Flexible circuit shipments in July 2009 went down 14.9% and bookings declined 32.9% compared to July 2008. Year-to-date, flexible circuit shipments were down 1.0% and bookings were down 9.0%. Compared to the previous month, flexible circuit shipments went down 17.8% and flex bookings decreased 41.6%. The North American flexible circuit B:B ratio in July 2009 fell back to 0.94.

For rigid PCBs and flexible circuits combined, industry shipments in July 2009 decreased 25.3% from July 2008 and orders booked decreased 23.1% from July 2008. Year-to-date, combined industry shipments were down 27.1% and bookings were down 27.4%. Compared to the previous month, combined industry shipments for July 2009 decreased 12.3% and bookings went down 24.5%. The combined (rigid and flex) industry B:B ratio in July 2009 retreated to 1.07.

"After the encouraging results in June, rigid PCB sales in July fell back to the negative growth rates of prior months and flexible circuit growth rates continued to decline," says IPC president Denny McGuirk. "The year-on-year growth rates in rigid PCBs and for PCBs overall continue to improve each month, although they are still negative. For the industry as a whole, the book-to-bill ratio remains positive."

-- Posted by Vision Systems Design, www.vision-systems.com